Stained Crimson
by Angry Inch' Silvia
Summary: Jella oneshot, highlighting Jake's biggest fear: harming Bella.


Stained Crimson

_Background Information: JacobxBella, in Jake's point of view. Bella jumped off a cliff, and was saved by Jake, but Alice never came back, nor did Edward. Bella never went to Italy. She found love in Jake, and they're together._

_Set after New Moon._

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work, and no copyright infringement is intended.**

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"Jake, I can't let you go after them!"

"Bella, honey, I have to do it. She'll kill you if I don't do something, and I'd never be able to live with myself if you die!"

"And you think I wouldn't feel the same way?!"

"Isabella Marie Swan, do you doubt me? I killed that other filthy bloodsucker, too…Laurent, wasn't it?"

The blood drains from her cheeks, "Don't call them that." she says, dangerously quiet.

"Why not? After all they've done to you, after that Cullen," I growl the name, knowing how it affected her and hating myself for bringing it up, "After that _Cullen_ left you in the woods, after…Laurent…tried to kill you, after you learned that the red-headed female is stalking you, you _still_ defend them?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes." She says firmly, though she is white as a sheet and tears are pouring down her cheeks.

I feel myself shaking, and try desperately to think of something, anything that will calm me down and prevent me from phasing. Bella is yelling now, but blood is pounding in my ears, my body shaking in rage and fear, my mind racing, and I am deaf to the world. I imagine the ocean, the calm, blue, soothing sea, the feel of salt coating my skin. Even in my imagination, the effect of the ocean is still soothing, and I can feel myself calming slightly. Then I remember Bella in the water, drowning, and the red-headed female that was tracking her, the bloodsucker who is the cause of this whole argument. My body begins to shake again, and my rage at my weakness causes my body to pop into wolf-shape.

The anger in Bella's eyes quickly gives way to surprise, then alarm. I can smell her fear, but she stands her ground. _Go away,_ I think. _Get out of here._ I snarl, trying to scare her away, but she still looks at me, wide-eyed and frozen. I can feel my blood boiling, and I reach out one paw to swipe at the air in front of me, waving her away, knowing that if she stays there for very much longer, she's as good as dead. I feel my paw hit something solid, smell the sharp tang of fresh blood in the air, and know that I misjudged the distance between her face and my claws. I see her eyes go wide in surprise, and she falls to the ground, clutching her wounded face. There are scratches gouged deep on her face, trailing from her left temple to her collarbone, and the blood rushes past her fingers, staining her smooth ivory skin crimson.

I stumble backwards in horror at what I have done, howling my pain at the trees in the forest surrounding us. Knowing my brothers already know of what I have done, I begin to run away, planning to race into the woods, far away from Bella, from the smell of blood and torn skin and pain, away from the reminder of my weakness, so that I may calm myself enough to change back to human. I don't want to hear my pack's thoughts, and I cannot change with Bella in front of me, a reminder of what I have done to her. But after a few steps, I hear Bella, her voice a weak mockery of what it once was.

"Jake…forgive me, Jacob…" she pleads. I'm the one who hurt her, yet she is asking _my_ forgiveness? "Jake, Jake…" Her voice is getting stronger as she repeats my name, and I register dimly that it should be doing the opposite. "Jake, Jake…"

"Jake!" I hear Bella's voice yell, and my eyes snap open, the terrible vision of her lying broken on the ground shattering as my dream fades. I sit up in bed, and hug her fiercely. After a time I pull away, and I see worry in her eyes. "Jacob, what's wrong? You were tossing and turning in your sleep, moaning about-" I kiss her softly, cutting her off.

"Don't worry, love," I whisper, folding her into my arms. "Nothing's wrong now that you're here."

"Bu-" she begins to protest.

"Shh.." I silence her, rocking us back and forth. I feel her lips brush against my bare chest, and I lay her back down on the bed. "Bella, you know I would never hurt you," I whisper against her hair, and she snuggles closer to me in agreement. I sigh and kiss her on the top of her head, then smooth back her hair. When I hear her breathing slow, then even out, I know that sleep has claimed her.

"I love you, Jake," she murmurs. I look at her in surprise, shocked that she is still awake. But then she rolls over to face me and her eyes are closed, her countenance peaceful, and I realize she was talking in her sleep. I kiss her on the cheek and hold her close.

"But will that be enough?" I ask the night.


End file.
